wynnsayz

Hey guys,

thanks for the help with tires last time.

Today I got another question for you guys.

I was driving today and suddenly flat tire warning came on and I kept on driving for like another 0.5 miles and parked my car in the lot for tennis. After 2 hours of tennis my tire didn't seem to have flattened, but the flat tire warning is still there. What is the likelihood of TPMS malfunction?

I'll check my tires again tomorrow morning and take it to discount tires where I bought the warranty for all 4 tires and see. If not I'll probably bring it in to the dealer.



Sidenote:

I think I'm going to sell my car because it is so expensive to fix whatever the problem comes up and the frequency of stuff happening is scaring me. Good thing I have CPO and maintenance, but that will all be gone in Feb 2012. But I really don't want to let this car go because it is just a pure pleasure driving it... How much would you guys say about this 550i I have (I bought from another member on the forum). It's 06 with 64000 miles and sports package. I'm the third owner with warranty expiring in Feb 2012.

Thanks!!

Gilgorm

I think you first need to check and correct the air pressure in all four tires, reset the TPMS and wait to see what happens. After that, you'll know whether it is a tire with a few pounds missing or a TPMS fault. Modern tires don't look any different with 5 pounds out of them; run-flats never look different. I often notice differences in handling and cornering before the TPMS does. But that just me.
GL

sanjsanj

Looks can be deceiving. Check tire pressures.

Steveo

TPMS will come on at 3-5 pounds off whatever it was set to initially. You will need to air it up and then reset it to clear. Once it is tripped, it stays tripped (mine do anyway) If it comes on again, you may have a slow leak.

wynnsayz

thanks guys!

I just remembered when I got my new 2 front tires, I'm guessing the tech didn't reset the TPMS. I took it in today, pumped it up to their optimal pressure and I resetted. Now I just have to wait and see

luigi524td

I trust you mean the recommended pressures noted on the driver side door jamb?? Some tire changers think the max psi on the tire sidewall is where they need to be inflated. That's NOT correct!

As for TPMS false alarms, in my experience, unless there is a problem with the wheel mounted sensor or one of the in-car antennas, the sensors are very reliable at detecting pressure differences. If your alert sounds off, have the offending tire checked for leaks (iDrive should note which wheel/tire psi is off) .

wynnsayz

ya they checked the tire pressure and only one was off. they dunked that one and found no leaks. And ya they pumped all tires up to the pressure recommended on the door of the driver's side

sahiljain22

Ahh.. been down that road. 4-5 trips to the dealer over the last 3 months for such leaks and luckily the last time, a mechanic said that there was a nail that was causing occasional leaks.